New Haven's “SeeClickFix” Selected by National Mag, Set to Host User Summit as Hurricane Residents Use Service

When Fast Company magazine developed a feature article entitled “United States of Innovation” for its most recent issue, they selected one business in each state to highlight.  Connecticut’s representative was SeeClickFix, a New Haven-based business that began a decade ago with a basic premise and has expanded steadily since. As Fast Company described it:  “A Help Desk for Citizens – New Haven resident Ben Berkowitz created the SeeClickFix app to allow locals to quickly report non-emergency issues (broken meters and streetlights, potholes, and even excessive noise from ice-cream trucks).  Officials can track, manage and reply within the app.  It has since expanded to some 300 municipalities across the country.”

There have been a total of more than 3 million “issues fixed” according to the SeeClickFix website, in communities including Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Petersburg, Detroit, Oakland, Albany, Albuquerque, Washington, D.C. Of particular interest this during the past two weeks - SeeClickFix in numerous Florida communities, and in Houston.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the efforts with Houston instantly intensified.  Berkowitz said SeeClickFix has worked with the city of Houston and several of its neighboring suburbs since 2009, handling an estimated 30,000 residents.  Those numbers will likely jump when the totals for 2017 are tallied.  Berkowitz told CTNewsJunkie that will be especially true in the coming weeks as operations shift from emergency calls handled by police and other emergency personnel to calls that are SeeClickFix specialties, such as power outages, downed trees and other types of “more routine” assistance.

In Florida, St. Petersburg is among the 10 communities with SeeClickFix in operation, and the site is filled with reports of downed trees, storm debris, broken water mains, non-working street lights, and other hazards, with many accompanied by photos illustrating the danger or dilemma.  Other communities include Pinellas County (which includes Clearwater), Seminole, Gainsville, and Venice, which signed on a year ago.

The company’s website continues to proudly boast “Made in New Haven” and Berkowitz’ company profile explains “The inspiration for SeeClickFix came from a desire to improve his own community with his neighbors and his government.”

Even before the hurricane in Houston this year, the company's growth has continued, with the first city in Kentucky signing on recently, and communities in Georgia and Michigan also added.  A workshop, with municipal attendees from more than 80 communities, was held in Detroit.  Next, a SeeClickFix User Summit is scheduled for September 13 & 14 in New Haven.

Fast Company summed up “50 projects that are really making America great again” noting that “Change doesn’t have to happen from the top down” as the publication highlights “some of the most promising projects, initiatives, and companies that are springing up in every state of the union. Together, they present a portrait of the country today—its concerns and responses, and its enduring capacity for progress.”

State’s Money Woes Earn National Spotlight

The cover of the national magazine depicts a waterfront home in Mystic Seaport, under the headline that reads “The fiscal mess in America’s richest state.”  Connecticut, without an approved state budget for all of July and August and nearly half of September, is earning some notice.  And it is not particularly friendly. The article, in the September issue of Governing, begins with the question, “How could the nation’s wealthiest state become a fiscal basket case?”  The answer is complex, and the magazine devotes a full six pages to walking through how the state got into this mess, and how it might navigate its way out.

Along the way, the magazine suggest that the state “may be too rich for its own good,” pointing out that “long blessed with a disproportionate number of high-income residents, the state has entertained lavish spending habits for decades.” It also cites statistics that underscore the problems and challenges:

• Over the past 20 years, job creation numbers have ranked in the bottom five among the 50 states
• Connecticut has the nation’s second-highest rate of income inequality, after New York
• The state has lost population for three years running
• Last year, Greater Hartford ranked fourth and New Haven fifth in population loss among the nation’s 100 largest metro areas

The ineffective state spending cap, approved by voters more than 20 years ago but routinely circumvented since, is cited as a contributor to the fiscal cliff the state sits on, along with an overreliance on the income tax, political infighting, increased taxes, the lack of regionalism and a host of other decisions made by Governors and legislatures for decades.

One glaring example cited:  “Connecticut, which is home to 3.6 million people, has 111 police dispatch centers.  By comparison, Houston, which as 2.3 million residents, has just one emergency dispatch center, which handles fire as well as police.”

With a circulation of 85,000 in print and a widely viewed website, Governing is described as "the nation's leading media platform covering politics, policy and management for state and local government leaders." It is among the most widely read and most influential among government leaders - with an audience that also includes "journalists, academics, advocates and activists."

The article did point to some silver linings, past and present.  “Connecticut clearly has the means to change course. Not only is its median income still high, but the state boasts assets such as proximity to Boston and New York, amiable coastlines and river valleys, and notable institutions of higher education.  In addition to the continuing presence of a thriving financial sector, Connecticut is home to aerospace and defense contractors and other advanced manufacturers who can’t hire help fast enough, as well as a growing medical and life sciences sector.”

On the other hand, the publication points out, “Connecticut is 80 percent white, but its population of white children under the age of 10 is falling faster than in any other state.  Racial and ethnic minorities already make up more than 50 percent of infants and toddlers and are about to become a majority of 3- and 4-year olds.”  There is, the publication adds, “a pronounced achievement gap among racial groups and by geography.”

The conclusion reached by the Governing article?  “Connecticut is not in a death spiral but it has failed to position itself to react to changing demographics and location preferences… it’s clear that what’s worked so well for Connecticut in the past isn’t working now.”

Summed up House Speaker Joe Aresimowicz, one of many political leaders, including the Governor and legislators from both political parties, as well as city officials and economic analysts, who were interviewed for the article: “We are the land of steady habits and the world has changed around us.”

NY Settlement with Outlet Mall Owner Eliminates Non-Compete Extending into Southwestern Connecticut

Most Connecticut residents are likely unfamiliar with Woodbury Common, an outlet mall in the town of Central Valley in Orange County, New York brimming with 240-plus retailers.  Due to a contract provision with those retailers that prevented them from opening another location within a 60 mile radius of Woodbury Common, however, the impact of that mall may have been felt throughout southwestern Connecticut for decades. A settlement in pending litigation reached between the New York Attorney General’s Office and Simon Property Group (SPG), owner of Woodbury Common, and announced late last month, could open the door to new retail outlet opportunities in Southern and Western Connecticut – regions that had long been under the restrictions.

"No business should be allowed to stifle an entire industry at the expense of consumers—but for years, that's exactly what Simon Property Group did to New Yorkers," said New York Attorney General Schneiderman. "Simon's anticompetitive conduct blocked competition and drove up prices for New York consumers. That ends today. I am pleased this agreement will allow for new shopping outlets to finally open within New York City, and make affordable shopping more accessible for residents across the region."

While Schneiderman focused on New York, the possible consumer benefits from the agreement extend further.  The region under the now-eliminated restrictions extends beyond New York into Connecticut, including much of Fairfield County – including Norwalk, Stamford, Danbury and Bridgeport - and extending nearly into New Haven.  (The straight line distance from Central Valley, NY to New Haven is 62 miles; to Milford is 55 miles.)

In a press release, Simon said Woodbury Common's 60 mile radius provision has been used since 1985, well before SPG acquired Woodbury Common as part of its 2004 acquisition of Chelsea Property Group. The statement pointed out that Woodbury's radius provisions have been upheld as lawful, reasonable and consistent with industry practice in the courts, as recent as 2010.

“While we have agreed to reduce the reach of the radius provisions in Woodbury Common leases, these provisions will continue to cover Woodbury Common's essential trade area, extending to all of Manhattan,” the company noted.

Simon Property Group described Woodbury Common as “an economic engine for Orange County, the lower Hudson Valley, and New York State,” indicating that “it regularly granted exceptions to radius provisions and understands the importance of competition and consumer choice in the market.”  In Connecticut, SPG operates two properties in southeastern Connecticut - Clinton Crossing Premium Outlet in Clinton and Crystal Mall in Waterford.

Reached via the New York State Thruway at exit 16 in Harriman, Woodbury Common Premium Outlets features “the most sought after, high-end fashion and designer retail brands in the world,” SPG said in its news release, highlighting stores including Tory Burch, Nike, Celine, Bottega Veneta, Polo Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors, Burberry, Coach, and The North Face.

As part of the settlement, Simon Property agreed to revise their existing leases with Woodbury Common retailers to remove the radius restrictions; not to engage in exclusionary tactics, including radius restrictions, for the next 10 years; and pay a $945,000 fine to New York State.

Even as negotiations proceeded on the settlement, Woodbury Common announced last month that 10 new retailers would be opening at the premium outlet mall, including Zadig & Voltaire, a high-end French ready-to-wear brand, and Sayki, a Turkish menswear designer.  The outlet mall also recently completed extensive multi-million dollar renovations. Simon Property Group, based in Indianapolis, owns nearly 100 outlet malls around the world and is an S&P 100 company.

Women in Manufacturing Bring Summit to Hartford Next Week

The 800-member Women in Manufacturing (WiM) professional organization will hold their annual Summit at the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford, September 13 - 15, 2017. This annual Summit is geared toward women who have chosen careers in manufacturing and want to share perspectives and network with others in the industry. It is expected to attract more than 300 professional women in manufacturing, with titles ranging from production to CEO. Attracting hundreds of women in manufacturing from across the country, WiM's annual Summit is the only national conference of its kind. This networking and educational event features manufacturing plant tours, professional development tracks, industry roundtables, keynote presentations and social events to expand participants' networks.

Plant tours that have been organized as part of the conference agenda include visits to Kaman Corporation, CNC Software, Hartford Flavor Company, TRUMPF Inc., and Pratt & Whitney, all on the opening day of the conference on September 13.

Break-out sessions will focus on Technology, Leadership & Professional Development, Operational Excellence, and Diversity & Inclusion.  Speakers at conference-wide sessions will discuss topics including “Engineering Young Women,” “Developing Your Personal Brand,” “Recruiting A Pipeline for Skilled Labor Positions,” “Empowering Women Through Sales,” and “The growing Digital Intensity of Manufacturing.”

Speakers will include Jonna Gerken, Manager, PCME Group, Pratt & Whitney and the president of the Society of Women Engineers, and George Saiz, President & CEO of The Association for Manufacturing Excellence.

The Board Chair of Women in Manufacturing is Sheila LaMothe, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for Goyer Management International, a Florida-based company.  Previously, she spent 15 years responsible for the marketing and public relations activities for TRUMPF Inc. in Farmington, CT, initially serving as Marketing Manager before becoming Associate Director of Marketing & Public Relations. She founded the WiM Connecticut Chapter and served as chapter chair until her relocation to Florida.

Among the host committee members is the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.  The New Haven Manufacturers Association and the Waterbury Regional Chamber’s Manufacturer’s Council are among the Supporting Partners for the Summit.

This is the organization’s first summit to be held in the Northeast.  The Summit location moves around the country giving attendees the opportunity to experience manufacturing and develop their networks throughout the United States.  The  6^th annual summit was held last year in Nashville, TN.  Previous events were held in Minneapolis, MN; Schaumburg, IL; Dearborn, MI; Milwaukee, WI; and Cleveland, OH.

How Connected is Connecticut? State Ranks 6th in the USA

Internet access is as good in Connecticut as just about anywhere else in the country.  A new report on the Top Connected States in America ranks Connecticut as the 6th most connected state in the nation. The analysis, by USDish.com, found that the top 10 states showing excellent connectivity to broadband all value connecting rural citizens to the resources they need to succeed economically, both in school and at work. “Overall we found that the most important factor in these states’ ability to connect rural citizens to the internet were the use of government funded broadband task forces, infrastructure maintenance, and local support. The states that listened to the community were more likely to connect them to proper resources and economic growth flourished.”

While Connecticut ranked 6^th overall, the state’s ranking varied in each of the categories of the analysis:  Connecticut ranked 10th in Access, 1st in Rural Access, 12th in Speed, and 21st in Support (by government).

Analysts compiled and ranked the report using data from the American Community Survey, conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau, the EducationSuperHighway non-profit, Fastmetrics, the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and the Institute for Local Self-Reliance.

Connecticut ranked 10^th in Access, 1^st in Rural Access, 12^th in Speed, and 21^st in Support.  The top five states for Rural Access were all in the Northeast – Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. “Perhaps the emphasis on education and communication makes it easier to access the internet as a student, even in a rural area like Connecticut,” the analysis stated.

The analysis points out that a main reason why people don’t have access to broadband internet is due to a lack of income. Cited is a Pew Research poll that found 23 percent of people making under $30,000 per year don’t use the internet, possibly because of the high price for something they don’t consider a basic need. Most rural schools across the country still lack access to fiber and pay more than twice as much for bandwidth.

In contrast, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, and Maryland all have state government broadband task forces which promote the expansion of internet access throughout their rural areas, the analysis points out.

For internet access per state, the USDish team analyzed the percentage of school districts meeting a minimum of 100 Kbps per student.  They also examined the percentage of those with an internet subscription, and the total percentage of users with any access to the internet at all, be it in the form of a community library, town hall, or school.

Speed was analyzed by the average Mbps per state, and they evaluated states on whether they had a stimulus project, broadband task force, or whether the state had barriers preventing them from expanding the connectivity of those living in the area (i.e. laws, infrastructure support, prohibitions, etc.). As for rural area access, data on the number of households that had broadband internet in both urban and rural areas was used.  USDish.com is an authorized retailer of DISH Network.

Former CT Sportscaster Handling Weather Reporting Duties During Hurricane in Houston

Khambrel Marshall, who once delivered the evening sports news on Hartford’s Channel 3, has accomplished the rare broadcast trifecta – he has been a sports anchor, news anchor, and weather reporter during his career – all in some of the nation’s largest media markets.  It is a career with heightened visibility in recent days, as a Hurricane Harvey barrelled in on Houston, where Marshall is an on-air member of the NBC affiliate’s “Severe Weather” team, as well as the host of a weekly public affairs program on KPRC-TV. Joining the WFSB sports team in 1980 at age 27, Marshall spend five years at channel 3, moving from the nation’s number 23 TV market to number 13 when he relocated to Miami in 1985.  At the time, he became the first black sports anchor in South Florida, according to published reports.  He had received his broadcasting degree from Arizona State University while working in his first job in television as weekend sports anchor in Phoenix, prior to arriving in Hartford. He remained in sports until news captured his attention while he was sports director in Miami and was called upon to anchor during Hurricane Andrew.

In a 1980 interview published in Hartford Sports Extra, Marshall said “I’m an honest person.  And I have a great rapport with people.”  That has been evident at each stop in his career, because, Marshall explained three decades ago, “I like to rub elbows. I really like to meet the folks.”  He was one of 12 recipients to receive the National Community Service Award from the Westinghouse Corporation and was named "Outstanding Young Floridian" by the Fort Lauderdale Jaycees for his humanitarian efforts in the wake of Hurricane Andrew.

Marshall later joined KPRC in Houston in 1999 as a news anchor after 13 years in Miami.  He left the air in 2006 to accept a producer's position.  He then returned as a member of the station’s "Severe Weather Team."  He also airs a weekly public affairs program, Houston Newsmakers, that airs on Sunday mornings, just after Meet the Press.   He is approaching his 2oth anniversary at the Texas station, just a couple of years away.

A self-proclaimed "weather geek" since high school, he earned his Broadcast Meteorology Certification from Mississippi State University – after his broadcasting career was already underway.  Living through and reporting on Hurricane Andrew solidified his thirst for meteorological knowledge, specifically tropical weather phenomena.   It is an interest, and experience, that has been on display over the weekend in Houston.

Among his numerous honors is one of broadcasting's top awards, the Emmy, for a feature series titled "Guardians at Sea," chronicling the efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard to rescue Cuban and Haitian refugees crossing the Florida Straits.

He almost came to Hartford two years earlier, after the president of Post Newsweek, then the owner of WFSB, saw him on the air in Phoenix.  The station’s news director got in touch.

“He said the president of Post Newsweek stations saw in Phoenix for a convention or something, saw me on the air, and would like me for the Hartford station.”  Marshall recalled that although he liked Hartford, he decided to stay in Phoenix.  Two years later, after a brief stint in Detroit, Marshall and Hartford connected as he became the sportscaster on the 11 PM newscast, joining a team led by veteran sportscaster Dave Smith.

Marshall has made his mark supporting local nonprofit organizations in addition to his on-air work.  He supports Big Brothers Big Sisters, and was March of Dimes Texas Communications volunteer of the year twice.  He is a past Chairman of the Executive Committee of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southeast Texas, and recent board member of Collaborative for Children.  In addition, he is a Senior Fellow in the "American Leadership Forum: Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter." The intense ALF one-year program is designed to join and strengthen diverse leaders in the community to better serve the public good.  Marshall was married in 1979 – just months before landing at WFSB in Hartford - to his wife Debbie, and they have two daughters.

Gender Disparity Is Alive and Not-So-Well; Particularly in Connecticut, Analysis Finds

Connecticut places dead last among the 50 states in the degree of gender gap in executive positions in the workplace and overall workplace environment for women, according to a new analysis prepared by the financial website WalletHub.  The state also ranked in the bottom ten in the “education and health” category, ranking higher – in the top ten – only in “political empowerment,” despite having fewer women in the state legislature than about a decade ago. Overall, the state ranked 28^th among the “Best and Worst States for Women’s Equality.”

The challenges present in Connecticut are true – to varying degrees – nationwide.  In 2016, the U.S. failed to place in the top 10 — or even the top 40 — of the World Economic Forum’s ranking of 144 countries based on gender equality, WalletHub reports.

Among the states, the top 10, with the slimmest inequality gap, were Hawaii, Nevada, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington, Maine, North Dakota, Oregon, Wisconsin, and Vermont.  Among the other New England states, Massachusetts ranked #13, New Hampshire was #16, and Rhode Island was #34.  The widest gaps were in Texas, Virginia and Utah.

"Connecticut ranked below average overall mostly because of its rankings for two of the categories we analyzed, Workplace Environment (50th) and Education & Health (43rd),” WalletHub analyst Jill Gonzalez told CT by the Numbers.  “Connecticut's disparities between women and men are quite pronounced when it comes to the workplace environment. Women earn 23 percent less than men, 9th highest in the country, and Connecticut has the highest gap of women in executive positions. Large differences also appear when looking at higher-income earners, with a 13 percent gap between women and men, and the entrepreneurship gap in Connecticut is at 48 percent, again favoring men."

To determine where women receive the most equal treatment, WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states across 15 key indicators of gender equality in three central categories: workplace environment, education and health, and political empowerment  Among the indicators used in the analysis, Connecticut ranked 46th with among the largest educational attainment gap among Bachelor’s Degree holders, 48^th in the entrepreneurship gap, 49^th in the disparity among higher income wage earners (in excess of $100,000 annually) and 50^th with the largest executive positions gap.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, just over one-quarter of Connecticut’s legislators are women, at 27.3 percent, compared with the national average among state legislatures of 24.8 percent.  There are 1,830 women serving in legislatures across the country.  In Connecticut, 42 of 151 House members are women, and 9 of the Senate’s 36 seats are held by women.   Among the states with the highest percentage of women in their legislature are Vermont, Colorado and Nevada with 39 percent, Arizona with 38 percent, and Illinois and Washington at 36 percent.  Connecticut’s numbers have declined since 2009, when a total of 59 women held legislative seats, 8 in the Senate and 51 in the House.

The workplace environment category included data on income disparity, the number of executive positions held, minimum wage workers, unemployment rate disparity, entrepreneurship rate disparity and the disparity in the average number of work hours.

The analysis found that in every state, women earn less than men. Hawaii has the lowest gap, with women earning 12 percent less, and Wyoming has the highest, 31 percent. Connecticut ranked 41^st.  Rhode Island has the highest unemployment-rate gap favoring women, with 2.4 percent more unemployed men. Georgia has the highest gap favoring men, with 1 percent more unemployed women. The unemployment rate is equal for men and women in Illinois and Idaho.  In Connecticut’s it’s nearly identical, with the 0.3 percent more unemployed men than women, based on the data reviewed.

Women continue to be disproportionately underrepresented in leadership positions nationwide. According to the Center for American Progress, women make up the majority of the population and 49 percent of the college-educated labor force. Yet they constitute “only 25 percent of executive- and senior-level officials and managers, hold only 20 percent of board seats, and are only 6 percent of CEOs.”  In addition, salary inequity continues, and women are underrepresented in government.

The analysis was released to coincide with Women’s Equality Day, which is observed annually on August 26. The U.S. Congress designated the commemoration beginning in 1971 to remember the 1920 certification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, granting women the right to vote. The observance of Women’s Equality Day also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality, according to the National Women’s History Project.

UConn Expands Presence in Hartford, Stamford

UConn is on the move this week, literally as well as figuratively.  Wednesday will see the ribbon cutting for the new Hartford campus, which is relocating from its suburban campus in West Hartford after nearly five decades away from the Capital City.  And in Stamford, students will be moving into student housing beginning this weekend, the first time that has been possible. In Hartford, the university intends to “interweave top-tier academic programs with the vitality and unique educational and service opportunities offered by Connecticut’s capital city.”  The campus – at a cost of $140 million - is anchored by the historic former Hartford Times building as part of a neighborhood campus that includes nearby cultural institutions and state and city government offices, including Hartford Public Library, which will house 12,000 square feet of UConn classrooms, a library collection, and study areas.

The campus will be the home for the university’s Department of Public Policy, Urban and Community Studies Program, Cooperative Extension System, and the Connecticut State Historian.  A new Barnes & Noble bookstore is also coming downtown as part of the new campus.

UConn is also touting the demographics of the student population:  47 percent minority students, and a 13:1 student-faculty ratio.  It anticipates 1,347 undergraduates and 1,602 graduate students downtown, at the undergraduate campus, School of Social Work and business school, which has been downtown for more than a decade.  A year ago, the Board of Trustees voted to extend the Graduate Business Learning Center’s (GBLC) lease at 100 Constitution Plaza, and to add two additional floors to the existing space, allocating a total of six floors of classroom, meeting and office space.

The UConn School of Social Work is moving from West Hartford down the block from the new undergraduate building, to 38 Prospect Street, directly across from the Wadsworth Atheneum.  And, it was announced earlier this month, regular bus service between Storrs and Hartford is getting underway, free of charge to students. There will also be a shuttle bus running a loop downtown, and although there is no designated student parking, officials say the number of available spaces in nearby lots should be more than sufficient.

Meanwhile, at UConn’s Stamford campus, the inaugural move-in weekend is scheduled for August 26th and 27^th, as the campus offers student housing for the first time. The student dorm, at 900 Washington Boulevard, is 2 blocks south of the UConn Stamford campus and halfway between the main campus building and the Stamford Transportation Center.

The building is six stories tall and will have 116 apartment units. the school's website explains. The maximum occupancy of the building is approximately 350 students, but because some of the bedrooms will be single occupancy, the target occupancy is 290 students. Plans call for 100 designated parking spaces for students will be available for a small additional charge.

The residence hall also includes an 80-person meeting room, administrative offices and a lobby on the first floor. Each floor has a study lounge, and the second floor has a large community center in which students can congregate and have events. The University will manage Stamford housing as in Storrs, with an on-site Resident Director and on-floor Resident Assistants.

The current UConn Stamford academic campus, at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Broad Street in downtown Stamford, opened in 1998, although courses had previously been offered in the city. The facility also provides current UConn students, faculty and staff access the on-site Fitness Center free of charge.

In addition to the main campus in Storrs, UConn also has a presence in Waterbury and Avery Point, as well as the School of Law in Hartford’s west end and the Health Center in Farmington.  The former UConn Torrington campus closed a year ago, due to “declining interest among students, falling enrollment, a limited faculty, and changing regional demographics,” according to school officials.

Hartford, New Haven, Bridgeport Among Highest in US for Households That Don’t Own Cars

Whether it is good news or bad news may be in the eye of the beholder.  The percentage of households without a motor vehicle in Hartford is 10^th highest in the nation.  New Haven (24^th) and Bridgeport (49^th) also make the top 50. Some would suggest that lack of car ownership is a reflection of poverty.  Others may point to millennials and others who choose an urban lifestyle specifically because car ownership is less necessary.

In Hartford, 35.7 percent of households do not own cars.  In New Haven it is 29.2 percent; in Bridgeport, 21.2 percent, according to data compiled by Governing magazine, using data from the Census Bureau's 2010-2013 American Community Survey.

Taking cars off streets yields a number of benefits for cities, including helping to attract young people, limiting pollution and facilitating safer roadways for both drivers and pedestrians, explains Norman Garrick, who studies urban planning at the University of Connecticut. That’s part of the reason “cities are really doubling down and trying to reduce use of cars,” he pointed out to Governing magazine in 2015.

Nationwide, about 9 percent of U.S. households didn’t have access to a car in 2013, according to Census data analyzed by Governing -- a figure that has been relatively stable.  Garrick’s past research in Hartford, for example, found 71 percent of employees drove alone to work for an insurance company that charged for parking. Rates for other downtown Hartford employers offering free parking were between 83 and 95 percent.

Among the other Connecticut communities reviewed in the analysis (% of households without cars, ranking):

• Waterbury          18.2 of HH           69^th
• New Britain        17.7% of HH        74^th
• East Hartford     15.9% of HH        87^th
• West Haven       11.9% of HH        151^st
• Stamford             11.8% of HH        156^th
• Meriden              11.4% of HH        169^th
• Norwalk               9.4% of HH          262^nd
• Danbury               9.3% of HH          271^st

Census estimates suggest there were about 1.8 vehicles per U.S. household in 2013. This ratio varies greatly across cities and larger regions. As one would expect, suburban jurisdictions tend to have greater car ownership than more densely-populated cities. Data was included for all cities (794) with at least 50,000 residents.

National Leader, Connecticut Green Bank Reaches Milestone in Project Financing

The Connecticut Green Bank’s C-PACE program recently surpassed $100 million in closed project financing. Out of the 19 states with C-PACE (Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy) programs, this project financing level is second only to California, according to officials. The Connecticut Green Bank’s C-PACE program reached the milestone of $100 million in total closed project financing. The solar photovoltaic (PV) and energy efficiency projects, which vary in size and scope, are saving more than $9.29 million annually in energy costs for nearly 170 building owners across multiple sectors. 

The Green Bank, which administers the C-PACE program, seeks to make green energy more accessible and affordable to commercial and industrial property owners by providing no money down long-term financing for meaningful energy upgrades to their buildings.

C-PACE enables building owners to finance qualifying energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements through a voluntary assessment on their property tax bill. As the program grows, more Connecticut businesses can achieve lower energy costs. Reaching $100 million in closed project financing reaffirms Connecticut’s program as a national leader, officials indicated.

Since its inception in 2011, 166 C-PACE projects have been closed in 69 of the 128 municipalities that have opted into the program. C-PACE funds have been used in manufacturing facilities, non-profits, houses of worship, retail establishments, office buildings, and other business entities.  The projects consist of solar installations, new boilers, energy efficiency lighting measures, HVAC systems, and other energy improvements that help building owners to take control of their energy costs.

“Connecticut’s Green Bank has really been the national leader for C-PACE,” said David Gabrielson, the Executive Director of PACENation, the national non-profit that supports development of PACE programs nationwide. “The way they administer their program has really served as a great example for other program administrators throughout the U.S., and we congratulate the entire Green Bank team on this impressive milestone.”

The project that propelled the Green Bank over this milestone will be installed at Farmington Sports Arena (FSA). FSA is a 130,000-square foot modern indoor sports facility that is home to four indoor and three outdoor artificial turf fields as well as four natural grass outdoor fields. The project, which will be installed by 64 Solar, consists of two solar PV systems (170 kW total).

Connecticut’s C-PACE program maintains an open market approach, allowing private capital providers to finance projects for building owners, and, in 2015, the Green Bank reached an agreement that provided it access to up to $100 million in private funding for C-PACE projects. Today, nearly 70% of the funding in the program consists of private capital.

“The Connecticut Green Bank is a leader in the green energy movement, but the rapid growth of C-PACE wouldn’t be possible without the support of our contractors, capital providers, municipal officials, and other stakeholders who have contributed to the C-PACE movement,” said Mackey Dykes, Vice President of Commercial, Industrial and Institutional programs at the Connecticut Green Bank. “There is still significant potential for energy improvements for Connecticut businesses and non-profits, and we look forward to bringing cleaner and cheaper energy to more building owners across the state.”

The website Energy Collective noted recently that “states have and will continue to play a key role in leading the clean energy transition,” highlighting the work in Connecticut as among the national models.

“Connecticut has found a way to make the financing of clean energy deployment more accessible and affordable for consumers and businesses. In 2011 the state legislature created the Connecticut Green Bank, the nation’s first green bank. It uses public funds to attract private capital investment in green energy projects. By leveraging private investment, the Green Bank significantly increases the total amount of financing available for clean energy projects.

The site highlighted that “Among the Green Bank’s most successful initiatives is the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program, which allows commercial property owners to pay for clean energy or efficiency upgrades over time through their property taxes.

The Connecticut Green Bank is the nation’s first green bank. Established by the Connecticut General Assembly on July 1, 2011 as a part of Public Act 11-80, the Connecticut Green Bank evolved from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund (CCEF) and the Clean Energy Finance and Investment Authority (CEFIA), which was given a broader mandate in 2011 to become the Connecticut Green Bank.

https://youtu.be/kPqO4QlTkDU